Wire cap.



C. J. CARROLL. WIRE GAP. v APPLICAIION FILED MAR.31, 1910.

314 1.1a n to z Q/vitnuua Patented Mar. 11, 1913 CHARLES J'. CARROLL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

WIRE CAP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented R131, 11, 1913.

Application filed March 31, 1910. Serial No. 552,525.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. GAnnoLn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful lrnprove-' 'ments in W'ire Caps, of which the followmg is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved metal cap for securing roofing or tarred papers to wood structures.

One object of the present invention is to provide a cap formed from a single piece of metal and constructed in such manner that it may be secured at the center by means of a separate nail, tack, staple or equivalent fastening and which may extend around and encircle the said securing device to securely clamp the material against the surface to be covered. a y p Another object is to provide an improved cap which will not spring outwardly when its central portion is drawn inwardly, as when a nail is driven therein, butwill be forced closer against the material with increased pressure, and a further object is to provide an improved construction of annulus or cap formed from a single piece of metal and having a bar extending inwardly toward the center of the annulus with a suitable perforation therein through which a suitable independent and separate headed fastening may pass to secure it and the material against the surface or support to be covered. v I

Another object is to provide a construction of cap having an annulus and a bar extending toward the center with its end of such construction that upon driving an independent and separate headed fastening through-said end the latter will be embedded in the roofing material and form a seal about the fastening while the head of the fastening will serve as a water shed to direct rain water away from point where'the filtoning has passed through the'material.

With these and other objects in' view the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1, is a plan view of the cap. Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, and, Fig. 3, another side elevation showing the normal relative position of the end and the radial bar before use.

Referring to the drawing the numeral, 1,

designates the inner end of the metal cap which is formed in such manner as to enable it to be secured by a separate and independent fastening such as a nail, staple or other suitable device. this inner end of the cap is provided with a perforation, 2, which is formed by turning said end backwardly in a coil, 3,the upper surface of the metal serving asa seat for the head of the fastening. A bar 4, radiates from the inner end of the cap and carries an annular inclosing portion 5, which encircles the inner central end of the cap. The annular inclosing portion 5, may have any desired shape so lon as it extends about the central end, but I have found it convenient to give it the form of a ring so that it may encircle said inner end.

The extreme outer free end 6, of the cap is preferably provided with a beveled upper.

surface 7, which normally projects beneath and lies in close contact with the under side and extreme outer end 8, .of the radiating bar et, so as to prevent the formation of a gap or space between said free end 6, and

the said outer end, 8. This close contact is very desirable because during the formation of caps and also during packing, handling or shipment the presence of a gap .at said free end 6, would permit engagementand the interlocking of one cap with another which would be very objectionable because the capswould have to be separated before they could beused.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that the'inn'er central end 1, and the radial bar 4, both have position ina hori-' zontal plane above the free end 6. This is also desirable' and works out advantageous results in practice because when a fastening is driven down over the raised radial bar and inner end, said bar and end will be sprung inwardly, and the annular inclosing portion will expand and its inward pressure increased all the way around, thus more securely clamping the covering material against the surface over which it is laid.

By reference to Fig. 8, it will be noted that the extreme free end 6, of the cap is provided with a beveled under surface 9, in addition to. the beveled upper surface, 7. This beveled under surface is also advantageous in that when the cap is secured in place it forms a slight V-notch through which water that might ordinarily collect on the inside of the ring may runoff and In the present instance" thus prevent rotting out of the coveriugl which the cap secures.

From the foregoing description it will be Seen that a headed nail, preferably a wire nail Ina be inserted in the perforation, 2, l and driven through the roofing material and into the wooden structure which it is dew sired the roofing material shall cover. This l roofing material is invariably of such thiclo ness that when the nail is driven home the head thereof will seat on the upper side of the eye, 3, and will seat the under side of said eye in the roofing material sufficiently to form a seal about the nail prong and the perforation in the roofing material. By this means the seating of the eye in the said material about the nail prong and perforation will prevent rain Water from following the prong and seeping through the pert'orated material and the head on the nail will entirely cover the perforation in the eye of the cap and prevent water entering from the upper side.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, r

1. A Wire cap for securing roofing material having a nail'receiving opening and encircling concentric wire sealing strands about the nail opening the upper surface oi the inner sealing strand forniin a seat for the nail head and the lower surrace thereot' when pressed into the roofing material by the nail forming a sealing means about the nail prongv and the onterstrancl forming a sealing means about both the prong of the nail and also the inner sealing strand.

2. A wire cap for securing sheet mate rial to Wood structures having an inner wire strand with a nail opening therein,the strand forming a seat; for the nail head and a seal about the nail prong when the latter is driven into place, said cap having a bar which extends radially from the inner wire seali strand and an encircling wire sealing land carried by the radial bar and fornn a seal about the inner sealing strand.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

QHAvRLES J Ci-iRR-OLL. Witnesses G. FERDINAND Voo'r, CHAS, B MANN. 

